Detector for marsh and other hydrocarbon gases



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

N. W. PERRY. DETECTOR FOR MARSH AND OTHER HYDROGARBON GASES. No.350,388. Patented 0ct.5, 1886.

(No Medal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N. W. PERRY.

DETECTOR FOR MARSH AND OTHER HYDEOGARBON GASES. No. 350,388. PatentedOct. 5, 1886.

Attest, lnventnn M MM A Mmk w PM, ZZLKZ W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON \VILLIAMS PERRY, OF NORWOOD, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HERMAN JOHNGROESBEOK, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

DETECTOR'FOR MARSH AND OTHER HYDROCARBON GASES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.350,388, dated October5, 1886.

Application filed February 1886. Serial No. 192,021. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, NnLsoN WILLIAMs PERRY, of N orwood, Hamilton county,State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Detectorsfor Marsh-Gas and other Hydrocarbon Gases, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart thereof, in which- Figure l is an elevation of one way of embodyingmy invention. M is a base for the standards F E. It R are wires runningfrom the binding-screws ll H to the battery 1 through the alarm-bell N.A is a flat bar composed of a piece of platinum or palladium and a goldplating. B is a contactpoint on the tongue D.

Fig. 2 is anelevation of another way of embodying my invention. T Taretongues having points dropping into afilm of oxide of palladium, S, inthe trough \V.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of another way of embodying my invention. n is apiece of palladinizcd charcoal held near the end ol'a thermal pile, (I,with wires 1' 2' running to a bindingpost, II, on the base M of a relay,m.

The. same letters in the several drawings denote the same parts.

My invention relates to the detection of the presence of marsh-gas andother hydrocarbon gases, and more especially to the presence offire-damp and the gases of natural-gas wells; and it consists,essentially, of an open electric circuit and a metal or the salts of ametal so placed in the circuit that it shall, by change of position,character, or temperature, by reason of its having occluded hydrogen ora coinbustible hydrocarbon gas, or by the action of said gases on thesalt, close said circuit.

My invention is based on these chemical facts: first, that platinum andpalladium occlude large quantities of hydrogen and hydrocarbon gases,and by so occluding'these gases inized or palladinized, it will in thepresence of hydrogen orcombustible hyd roearbon gases become heated.

My invention, embodying the first two of these facts,consists in anopen'electric circuit in combination with platinum or palladium, ortheir salts, constituting one portion of the circuit, and adapted toclose the circuit by reason of the increase in its volume when it shallhave occluded a suflicient quantity of hydrocarbon gas. One form of thiselectrode of platinum or palladium is a flat ribbon, one side of whichis plated with gold or any other conducting metal not acted upon bythese gases, and the other side is uncovered. lhis piece of metal (shownin Fig. 1) willby the increased length of the uncovered side, due to theocclusion of the hydrocarbon gases, be bent up, as shown in the drawingsby the dotted lines, and so close the circuit.

One form by which the oxide of palladium 0 may be used is shown in Fig.2, where the wires are shown as dipping into the trough filled with saidoxide. When the oxide, by reason of the hydrogen or hydrocarbon gasesreducing action,becomcs 1neta1lic,the open circuit becomes a closedcircuit.

An embodiment of my invention is shown in Fig. 3, and is based on thethird of the aforementioned chemical facts.

Fig. 8 shows a block of platinized charcoal held securely near oneend ofa thermal pile. When the charcoal becomes heated by reason of itsproperties in presence of said gases, one end of the thermal pilebecomes heated,acurrent passes through it, putting into action the 8 5electromagnet of the relay on, (shown in Fig.

3,) and the said electro-magnet moves an armature which closes an opencircuit.

Operation: When the presence of fire-damp or other dangerous gas may besuspected, the 0 bimetallic bar A,of platinum or palladium and gold,Fig. 1, is included in an electric circuit,- as shown; or a film of theoxide of-palladium,

S, is held in a troughfiV, and includedin an electric circuit; ora pieceot'palladinized charcoal, a, Fig. 3, is held near the end of a thermalpile, a, having conducting-wire running to the relay M,- which isconnected up in an

